Not paying attention = loud bang

[Catwoman2965]

As in I was driving along on my way to work, not going very fast, in the usual stop and go, slow traffic. Going maybe 10-15 mph and BANG. Car behind me, who I think had been a leetle too close, smacks into me. So we pull over into a nearby parking lot, and while I have little damage to my car, I'm PISSED. And a smidge sore.

So SHE decides to call police for a report, hey, fine by me. Who come, take my info, fill out whatever, and then ask do I want him to issue a summons. Sigh. She's at fault anyway, regardless, so no.

Upon further review, later on, my bumper may or may not be loose, and has "smudges" and two small holes near the bottom, along with a lovely impression of her bumper in mine. Probably not enough to warrant fixing but having been hit from behind 4 previous times, i'm still going for an estimate, as I've had unseen damage. But its on recored in case i need to go through insurance, and if I'm still sore, I'll get it checked out.

I know myself well enough that its probably JUST muscular, and they'll tell me ice and advil, but if its the same tomororw or worse, i'll go get it checked out.

Just more of a big fat PITA than anything else.

[csquared]

I feel you pain, in more ways than one. Back in January, some clown couldn't wait in the line of cars getting on the expressway. Had to cut the line. Dove in behind me and in front of a dump truck hauling a front loader. Dump truck couldn't stop. In Georgia, if you rear-end someone, you get the ticket. I told the dump truck driver that he needed to get a dash cam.

I was debating on getting it fixed, then I found that I could not lower my tailgate.

And the insurance company found that the damage on clown's vehicle showed that he was not fully in the lane. Don't know if the dump truck drive was able to use that in court or not.

Hope you feel better.

[Catwoman2965]

thanks! Got checked out, and just muscular. Told me i'd feel worse today but i actually feel better. Once i get the police report, i'll see about an estimate. appears to be just cosmetic, and not anything other than that. So I may not even bother, since i suspect they will want to actually replace the entire bumper, which, if its still on, really isn't necesary.

[RealUnimportant]

Almost squished someone earlier because they were facing the opposite way to oncoming traffic when they stepped off the kerb. Luckily I've fitted a very large horn to my tiny old car, and they jumped far enough to get them to safety.

[greek_jester]

thanks! Got checked out, and just muscular. Told me i'd feel worse today but i actually feel better. Once i get the police report, i'll see about an estimate. appears to be just cosmetic, and not anything other than that. So I may not even bother, since i suspect they will want to actually replace the entire bumper, which, if its still on, really isn't necesary.

I strongly suggest that you get it replaced. There are bits on the inside that absorb the shock that will no longer work if you're hit hard enough, so any further knocks will do more damage than they might have otherwise if it's not replaced.

There's also the fact that if it falls off 3-4 months down the line due to damage originally caused in the accident there's no chance they'll replace it for you. Better to just get it replaced now and have done with it.

[wolfie]

Couple days ago, was cruising down the interstate with 40,000 pounds in the box. There's an onramp with a stop sign, and a truck waiting at the ramp (rush hour traffic). I signal to change to the left lane, but cancel it - some jerk figures that's the right time to pass me. All of a sudden, the guy in front of me STOPS to let the truck in from the onramp. This is a 55 MPH zone, and traffic is doing the limit - you don't stop to let in someone who has a stop sign.

Fortunately the only damage was to my tires (hard braking puts a lot of wear on them) and my pants - no contact between vehicles.

[BearLeeBadenaugh]

Wolfie, if you drive a screaming pumpkin and it was on 41 by Neenah Monday, I saw you!

If not, well, doesn't surprise me there's a lot of morons driving.


IIRC, the guy who stopped to let traffic on from the ramp could get nailed with about a grand in fines as it was, and if he had caused an accident would have been considered the one at fault and face possible criminal charges depending on what happened.

[wolfie]

No, I'm not with the orange company that has a reputation for bad driving. As for the guy who stopped, he was risking a LOT worse than having to explain himself to the cops. I was around 70,000 pounds gross, and at highway speeds that's a LOT of energy.

[pudddykat]

Very few people seem to grasp physics for dummies 101: Truck big and heavy you small not so heavy means you lose.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Very few people seem to grasp physics for dummies 101: Truck big and heavy you small not so heavy means you lose.

I've heard that preached over the years. When you work with folks who drive delivery trucks (and most of them are required to have CDL's) as well as being the daughter of a long time trucker (Daddy DG is currently still w/the Big Yellow E until he can get his SS check started, then it's off to retirement) this is a common refrain.

Last accident my Dad had in his work truck (the only one that I know of) was roughly 12 years ago (I'd just started w/the Litter Box) and it was Dad's second day back in the truck after working in the terminal as a dispatcher (he'd spent 7 years inside before being promoted to dispatch supervisor and within a year, he was waiting for an opening for a local route driver) when an old man in a land yacht Caddie tried to get into his lane. Trailer on Dad's truck wasn't damamged . . . maybe a smidge of paint enough to be able to determine that contact was made.

Police were dispatched (after Dad radioed back to the terminal to let them know what happened) and he sat in the truck and waited for them (police officers) to arrive on the scene.

And when the old man was asked by the officer what he was doing, the old man claimed he (the old man) was in the right lane (never mind he was trying to get into the far left turning lane where Dad's truck was attempting to turn.)

IIRC, the old man got the ticket on that one. I recall Dad saying he seemed pretty confused and not quite comprehending what was going on. Either way, I hope his family took his keys away.

[siskaren]

All of a sudden, the guy in front of me STOPS to let the truck in from the onramp.

It drives me nuts when people without a stop sign yield to people who do.

[csquared]

Around here, people will stop to allow someone to make a right turn on red.

[Nunavut Pants]

Fortunately the only damage was to my tires (hard braking puts a lot of wear on them) and my pants - no contact between vehicles.

DEPENDS CHECK, AISLE THREE!

I was around 70,000 pounds gross, and at highway speeds that's a LOT of energy.

Good ol' Em Vee Squared! Too bad you can't do the inelastic collision thing with them; they'd be wondering how they wound up in the middle of the next county!!

[Sparklyturtle]

A friend of ours who drives a school bus was sitting at a stop light a few years back, and was rearended by a Mazda Miata. The Miata went right up under the bus. When the police came the driver of the Miata claimed that she didn't see the bus. Makes me wonder what she was actually looking at, as the bus was a 45-passenger bright yellow school bus. Fortunately the bus wasn't full and no one was injured, but the bus had to be towed because the Miata was wedged under it.

[Chromatix]

Oh, you can do *inelastic* collisions just fine, complete with plastic deformation.

It's the perfectly-elastic ones that you won't get (and which you seem to be thinking of).